Alex Pate

Hi Alex, tell us about your role with Monzo

I’m currently a web engineer. In the past few years I’ve bounced between development and product design, but for now I’ve settled on web engineering. At Monzo, we work in a ‘squads’ model – small teams consisting of a designer, a user researcher and engineers who are focused around solving a single problem.

At the moment, I’m working on the first version of a web portal for our business account customers. A typical day starts with a quick sync with the rest of the squad, then it’s heads down on development work.

Collaboration is a big part of the Monzo culture, so there are lots of moments during the day where we come together as a team to work together on problems, or share our work to give and receive feedback.

What do you enjoy most about it and what are the biggest challenges?

I really enjoy working on a product that’s so impactful. Money plays a big role in people’s lives, and being able to work on projects that are solving real problems, but also helping to change people’s relationship with money in a positive way, is really rewarding.

Being a modern-day developer can be really challenging. Whether it’s a new framework or a new language, the range of things that developers need to know is constantly expanding. However, I feel really fortunate to work in an environment that allows me to learn and level up.

How do you feel your studies at Solent helped you prepare for your role?

Solent played such a big role in setting me up for work. Presenting was a huge part of the Solent culture. Learning to get comfortable with both sharing my work with my peers and giving and receiving feedback is a skill I use every day in my job. The range of topics covered is also something I’m only recently beginning to appreciate. There are often times in my job where I’m required to stretch out of my own domain, and I often find myself recalling some of the modules from the course.

What advice would you give to those wanting to get into your industry?

Make stuff. Show your passion. It could just be a silly side project that you make, or a rough design of something – these kinds of projects are really a chance to play around with a new technique or try a new language. And when you do make something, show it off! Share it on Twitter, or write a blog post about it! Also, go out of your way to find opportunities, whether it’s reaching out to agencies or companies and asking for a week or two of work experience, or getting involved in projects at Solent Creatives. All of these things are going to expose you to real-world problems and develop you as an individual.

What’s coming up next for you?

There are a lot of really exciting projects I would love to be a part of in the near future. I’ve also got one or two side projects I’ve been working on that I’m hoping to find time to finish soon!